Adams County Humane Agent saves abandoned dogs and puppies

The Humane Society of Adams County (HSAC) has issued an urgent call for funds needed for more than 20 rescued dogs and puppies and one cat from a property in rural Adams County.
The dogs had been left without food or water in rancid conditions until their rescue in one of the county’s worst neglect raids, with authorities investigating the owners for possible animal neglect and cruelty violations. The condition of many of the animals was described by HSAC Humane Agent Melissa Downs as “skeletal to very poor” due to lack of food, water, and basic care.
Agent Downs said the public could help by donating funds to HSAC’s animal shelter in West Union to go toward the cost of medical care, re-feeding, and the other various needs of these dogs and cat, or in helping free up space at the shelter for the new animals by fostering or adopting an available dog or puppy.
A tip-off from a concerned landlord led to the HSAC investigation of the single home property.
All of the dogs are less than 20 pounds and most appear to be purebred Dachshunds or Dachshund mixes. The ages of the animals ranged from middle-aged adults to unweaned puppies. Several of the adult female dogs are visibly pregnant. The animals were taken from the home after the issuance of a search warrant following “immediate and serious” concerns by HSAC investigators for their welfare.
One deceased dog was removed from the property, and one animal was so frail when rescued that it died en route to the animal shelter; another died the next day.
All of the animals were found living in feces and urine-soaked buildings and sheds on the property and inside the house.
Humane Agent Downs said that rescues such as this are double-edged swords: there is no doubt that the animals’ lives were in jeopardy and removing them immediately was the right course of action, but the resources required to house and feed the dogs and cat, as well as to treat their medical issues and get them all vaccinated and sterilized, create a huge burden on the Humane Society and it’s staff.
HSAC has an “Adoption Guarantee” policy, which means that they will not euthanize a healthy animal in order to make space for new animals at the shelter. With only 20 dog kennels available, shelter staff have been forced to scramble to find placement for all of the dogs. Luckily, a few of the existing shelter dogs were able to go to temporary foster homes.
The shelter is still trying to find more foster homes and adopters for existing shelter dogs in order to free up more space for the incoming animals, some of which are living in temporary enclosures in the shelter’s staff break room. The break room has now been dubbed the “Maternity Ward” because many of the animals housed there are soon-to-be mothers or nursing young puppies.
Checks to help offset the cost of this animal neglect investigation may be written to “HSAC” and sent to P.O. Box 245, West Union, OH 45693. Please write “Dachshund Rescue” in the memo line. For more information about how you can help, please contact the HSAC Animal Shelter at (937) 544-8585.